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Amiga Action Issue 1
This issue was dated October 1989 and was priced at £1.95 Contents Amiga Action Issue 1 Contents 1.jpg Amiga Action Issue 1 Contents 2.jpg News Headlines - 6 pages (4,6,8-11) *Exciting new Amiga magazine launched - (4) *Titus in force - Knight Force - (4) *Activision goes Ghostbusting - Ghostbusters II, Fighter Bomber, Altered Beast - (4) *Ocean go batty - Batman: The Movie - (6) *Actual Screenshots meet The Fall Guy - The Last Stuntman - (6) *Wacko Jacko lands on Amiga - Moonwalker - (6) *EA's Detective Story - The Hound of Shadow - (8) *Artronic in the fast lane - Fast Lane!, Soldier 2000, Ace - (8) *Domark goes movie making - The Star Wars Trilogy, Toobin', Pictionary, Dragon Spirit - (9) *Ere we go with Krisalis - Manchester United: The Official Game - (10) *Hewson shifts into 5th Gear - 5th Gear, Battle Valley, Stormlord, Slayer, Onslaught, Steel, Premier Collection II - (10) *Affordable memory: Half meg upgrade from Memory Expansion Systems Ltd - (10) *Mindscape at 10-1 favourite - Life & Death, Harley-Davidson: The Road to Sturgis, Omni-Play Basketball, Omni-Play Horse Racing - (11) *Rainbow Arts want their mysterious mummy - Mystery of the Mummy - (11) *Screen 7 clean up the mean streets - Fallen Angel - (11) Real Soon Now! (Previews) It Came From the Desert, Strider, Last Ninja 2, Tusker - 2 pages (86-87) Reviews Rainbow Islands *I was a great fan of Bubble Bobble, and I was a bit worried that this sequel would be a bit of a iet down. Luckily, programmers, Graftgold, have managed to incorporate every feature of the coin-op - Including every bonus screen and hidden feature I can remember - and, as a result, I have played Rainbow Islands more than any other game this month! Each Island Is deviously arranged, and making your way to the top of each, trapping the nasties along the way is great fun. Basically, If you only buy one game this month, make sure it's this one - you won't regret it. SM *Cutesy-cutesy games nearly always seem to offer the best value for money software these days, and Rainbow Islands is no exception. The graphics are brightly coloured and very original. The sound, which includes a main tune and in-game-effects, Is also of a very high standard, but can get a little tedious after a while. All in all, Rainbow Islands is an excellent game, and one that offers a great deal of long-term enjoyment. SW Passing Shot *I vaguely remember seeing a Passing Shot coin-op once, and it looked quite good - especially the graphics. In this conversion, though, the graphics aren't quite so hot, with small sprites running across a jerkily-scrolling play area. Still, the game itself plays quite well, although the aforementioned scrolling lost me a few valuable point. Not bad, but It could have been better. DJ *I am not a great fan of tennis, as I feel it is one of the most boring sports to watch. Playing it, though, is enjoyable, and Passing Shot Is a realistic interpretation of the sport. The graphics aren't superb, but they move well and there is some nice animation on the players. Sound is a little disappointing, with various thunks and clunks accompanying play - but, to be fair, there isn't a lot the programmers could have done with it. All in all, an enjoyable simulation that I keep returning to. SM Gemini Wing *I can't honestly say that I was too impressed with Gemini Wing. The graphics reminded me too much of the old 8-bits and lacked variation as the levels progressed. Although the musical score isn't that bad, it just doesn't seem right for this type of game. There are far better shoot'em-ups available for the Amiga at the moment and I would suggest you give Gemini Wing a miss and go for one of the better ones. SW *Having never come across a'' Gemini Wing'' coin-op, I can't say how close a conversion this is. However, as shoot'em-ups go, Gemini Wing certainly doesn't stand out by any of its own merits. Neither the graphics nor sound really suit this style of game, as both are too bright and bouncy. Basically, Gemini Wing is a huge disappointment after the excellent Silkworm. SM *Oh my God! How can a company that released something as good as Silkworm, bring out a product as dire as Gemini Wing. The graphics within the game are very substandard, and the sound is about the best thing the game has to offer, and that's not particularly great. All in all, Gemini Wing is not the best in its genre, and I can't really recommend it. DJ Castle Warrior *Unfortunately,'' Castle Warrior'' suffers from unresponsive controls and wooden animation. The scrolling credits on the title page reminded me of a PD demo, and the game didn't prove to be any more interesting. Variety of levels is virtually non-existent and, quite simply, I doubt Castle Warrior will keep anyone interested for long. DJ *The levels in Castle Warrior all involve basically the same activities - running down the corridors or dodging the monster's claws - nevertheless, I did find it strangely addictive. The control system is also very sluggish and I often found myself being hit through no fault of my own. If Delphine want to make a good name for themselves, then they are going to have to produce better games than this. SW Xenon II *After all its surrounding hype, I honestly thought Xenon II was going to be a disappointment. Thankfully, I was wrong, and Xenon II now ranks as the number one Amiga shoot'em-up. As soon as you hear the Bomb The Bass soundtrack you know you are going to be in for a treat, and both the graphics and the gameplay continue this high standard. Megablast, like the original Xenon, is tough, but it plays extremely well, and knocks any contenders to its throne straight out of the skies. SM *After the incredibly successful Xenon, the Bitmap Brothers must have had quite a headache creating the sequel. Nevertheless, Xenon II lives up to all the hype generated. The Bomb The Bass tune is excellent and suits the game well. The graphics have to be seen to be believed • the variation through the different levels is incredible. This has to be the No.1 shoot'em-up at the moment, and I can see it staying at the top for quite some time to come. SW *Yet again the Bitmap Brothers have stunned us with the graphics and sound they can produce on the Amiga, but even so, Xenon II just didn't quite grab me. Although the game has everything you could want in a shoot'em-up, the action Just seemed too frantic and I found it very frustrating. I, like anybody, like a challenge, but sometimes you can just push it too far. Xenon II is visually a great game, but I'd recommend that even the best games player has a quick go before he buys. DJ Shadow of the Beast *Although Beast ''scores highly both in graphics and sound departments, I am uncertain about its lasting appeal. The thirteen layers of parallax look superb, and each level is accompanied by its own tune, and this adds up to one hell of a well-presented game. The gameplay consists of running to and fro, punching, shooting and killing the many nasties, and, unfortunately, this can prove a tad repetitive. On the plus side, though, the puzzle-solving side of the game is great fun. Overall, Beast is a well-presented game which offers a long-term task. But as to whether it is worth the asking price that is up to the individual user. *On seeing ''Beast ''for the very first time, I was convinced that this was the best game I'd seen so far on the Amiga. Now, I'm not so sure. The actual presentation of ''Beast ''is second to none, with 350 screens, 132 different nasties and 128 colours on screen at once. Unfortunately, the game-play seems to have suffered somewhat. Running around a mass of screens and punching nasties may prove very boring after a while. Psygnosis are packaging the game in a special double box with a t-shirt at the overall price of - wait for it - £34.95. Will the average gamesplayer pay an extra tenner for just a t-shirt? I wonder. '''Paperboy' *As far as I can see, all of the features have been retained from the original, and the game plays exceedingly well. The graphics make use of the entire screen, and are up to the standard of the coin-op's. The jaunty tune of the original is there, and really does suit the style of the game. Because of the age of the coin-op, Paperboy ''may not do that well, but that would be a pity, as it is a perfect conversion. SM *Wow, this has taken a long time to appear! Still, ''Paperboy ''is here at last, and it is definitely worth the wait. The graphics and sound are, as far as I can recall, identical to the coin-op, and the game plays just as well, too. Initially, ''Paperboy ''seems to be a little too difficult, but each level follows a pattern, and the key to success is learning these. This is a very playable conversion, and one that is worthy of consideration. DJ '''APB' *Although the graphics of APB ''are nothing to write home about, the game itself is addictive. Arresting criminals and then beating the information out of them appeals to me. When you crash, it is possible for another car to collide into you just as you are pulling away, which did prove fairly annoying at times. ''APB ''is a fun game that offers a fair amount of addictiveness, although I question its lasting appeal. SW *''APB ''wasn't really a hit in the arcades, and judging by the look of the conversion, I am not surprised. Ignoring the 8-bit graphics, though, you will find that ''APB ''is very playable. It offers fast-moving chase fun, and apprehending the crooks is a real laugh - as is forcing a confession out of them. Basically, ''APB ''won't break any records, but it is good fun in the ''Spy Hunter mould. SM Populous: The Promised Lands *Adding extra levels to the excellent Populous ''is a brilliant idea - but selling them for a tenner is even better! The new levels are a much better than the original ones, with humour present in all of them. Of all the lands, the Bit-plains are my personal favourite, but they are all very playable and, although there are no new features or hazards added, the ''Promised Lands are a must buy. SM *''Populous certainly was an addictive little game, but with all these extra levels it is even better than before - and for just a tenner. A lot of thought has gone into the ''Promised Lands and very good thinking it was too. Although the game is the same with just new landscapes and people, it brings back all the fun that was maybe starting to wear off in it's predecessor. The Promised Lands is certainly worth every penny. DJ *After the highly successful Populous ''comes EA's ''The Promised Lands. The extra worlds are highly original and excellently detailed. Populous offers a lot of scope for extra world-disks and I hope that next time EA will spice up the actual playability a little. To be honest, Promised Lands offers no real alternative to the original Populous, and so I would suggest you see the game before you buy. SW Mr. Heli *''Mr. Heli'' is yet another shoot'em-up, but, sadly, it doesn't quite make the grade. The game seems to require no skill at all, and I found that rushing straight through a level easier than hanging around and collecting the money. This defeats the idea of buying extra weapons, and makes the crystals useless. These faults spoil an otherwise well-executed conversion. A pity. DJ *''Mr. Heli'' never really took off in the arcades, and I don't think this conversion will cause much of a ripple, either. Although graphically and sonically adequate, the gameplay itself is slow and tedious - something a shoot'em-up shouldn't be. The slow scrolling doesn't allow you to race through the levels and, as you hang around, you are steadily losing energy as the enemy repeatedly shoot you. Mr. Heli is a credible conversion, but, as a shoot'em-up it leaves a lot to be desired. SM Shufflepuck Café *In a way, Shufflepuck Cafe is very similar to Grand Monster Slam. Both are a very simple concept, and both prove to be very addictive in practice. In fact, Shufflepuck Cafe's greatest attribute is probably its simplicity. Hitting the puck up the pitch doesn't sound exactly enthralling, but when there are nine almost-human opponents to play against, it proves to be totally engrossing. Control over the bat is easy, as is hitting the puck; but perfecting the control so that you score every time is not going to be easy. Add to this a whole host of options, and It adds up to a very playable game. SM *Behind its unimpressive exterior, Shufflepuck Cafe hides a very playable game. Hitting the puck is extremely easy in theory, and the mouse allows some speedy bat movement, but mastering the techniques is far from a doddle. Each opponent is better and stranger than the last, and each features a varied range of odd attributes. I feel the asking price is a tad pricey, but Shufflepuck Cafe is well worth a look. SW Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Action Game *Poor old Indy hasn't fared too well in computer games in the past, but The Last Crusade makes up for that - just! Indy is represented by a large, relatively well-animated sprite, and the action is set against some attractive and detailed backdrops. The game's fault, though, lies in its variety - or, rather, the lack of it. Each of the stages are a little too similar for my liking, but overall it's still worth a look. SM *Although The Last Crusade is a great improvement on the first Indiana Jones licence, I still believe something more loyal to the film could have been produced. The graphics are well defined and move very convincingly. Unfortunately, none of the levels really differ in their content and may become a little tedious after a while. Although quite addictive at first, the novelty soon wears off and I would suggest seeing before you buy. SW *After seeing the first Indiana Jones conversion from the arcades, I was not looking forward to the follow-up; but now it's actually here it's not too bad. The four levels that are in the game are playable and quite enjoyable. When it comes down to it, Indiana Jones is just another platform game but with some nice graphics; it's quite addictive at the start but soon becomes very tedious, I've seen better. DJ Oil Imperium *Refine have done quite a nice little job with this title. The game can be played with up to three friends, and trying to send each other into bankruptcy is amazing fun. Oil Imperium is most certainly not for ardent shoot 'em-tip freaks, but if you are looking for something a little different, or you lust like strategic simulations, this game will surely hold your interest. DJ *''Oil Imperium'' is an attractive game, marred by the repetitive nature of buying and selling oilfields. The actual presentation of the game is very tidy, with useful icons and a neat set-up stage at the beginning. Although a tune has been included, sound effects have not been used much at all. If you've always wanted to be a J.R Ewing, then buy Oil Imperium, otherwise look for something with a bit more lasting appeal. SW Conflict: Europe *Ever since Theatre Europe appeared on the 8-bits, PSS had a hit. I always hoped an equivalent would come out on the Amiga and I was over the moon when I saw Conflict Europe. It doesn't matter whether you are an ardent shoot'em-up freak or heavily into strategy games, I'd recommend this all the way. Conflict Europe,is a smashing game and will keep you occupied for months. DJ *PSS, it has to be said, have done an excellent job on Conflict Europe, especially after the hugely successful Theatre Europe on the 8-bit computers. Blowing up the Earth couldn't be more fun, and it's far less painful. If strategy games aren't your cup of tea then it may be wise to avoid this. For the rest of you, Conflict Europe offers a great deal of entertainment and should keep you amused for quite some time. SW Fiendish Freddy's Big Top O' Fun *Roll up! Roll up for the big top! Fiendish Freddy is the latest offering from Mindscape, and very good it is too. The presentation is second to none and it is graphically superb. Great care has been taken to make each event as humorous and enjoyable as possible. Sound has been used extensively, and is very jaunty, although it does grate after a while. My only real gripe is the game's dubious lasting appeal, especially in view of the constant loading. SW *Looking at Big Top 'o' Fun, it would be easy to dismiss it as an exercise in graphics. However, as well as the superb presentation the game enjoys, Chris Gray and Co. have also incorporated one of the most playable games I have seen. None of the events are particularly taxing or difficult to play, and it won't take long for you to earn the required $10,000, but I guarantee you'll keep returning to it. Like the Epyx 'Games' series, proficiency in the events takes time, but is thoroughly worthwhile. After that, you'll realise the brilliant graphics and sound are just the icing on the cake. SM *I've played quite few Summer Games-style clones in my time, and apart from the odd one or two, I found that most of them were tedious. Big Top'o'Fun, though, is the best laugh I have had for ages. The comic-type graphics are some of the best I have seen, and the sound effects are good and complement the game well. Although the game is quite easy to beat, you'll keep on coming back, and it's great to play when your mates come round. DJ Leonardo *Whoever thought up this managed to produce a game very similar to the old 8-bit game Boulderdash, but successfully managed to lose every bit of addictive quality along the way. The graphics are very nice in Leonardo ''but the gameplay is just non existent, and I was bored out of my skull after just a few minutes. DJ *Although ''Leonardo ''was very addictive at first the novelty soon wore off. The opening sequence is effective and the graphics are very cute but I soon felt myself feeling very bored indeed. If you loved ''Boulderdash ''then it may be worth taking a look at ''Leonardo, otherwise, I'd suggest looking for something with more lasting appeal. SW Jack Nicklaus' Greatest 18 Holes of Major Championship Golf *Although Leaderboard ''still reigns supreme among the golf simulations, ''J.N's Greatest Eighteen is still a very playable game. It doesn't quite have the finesse of the Access original, and its screen update is ever so slow, but everything a budding golfer needs is there. Worth a look. SM *After the excellent Leaderboard, golf sims had very little more to offer and, although Jack Nicklaus's Golf doesn't really offer anything new, the presentation has been tidied and improved. The display of each course has been beautifully drawn and well detailed, even if each scene does take ages to appear. If golf's your game, then I would suggest you take a serious look at Jack Nicklaus's Golf. SW RVF Honda *Although not as instantly appealing as something like Super Hang-on, RVF ''offers a lot of depth and playability. Graphically and sonically, it is no great shakes. But the realism of features such as the varietys of crashes, losing precious instruments and having to push the bike to restart it, make this an engrossing simulation. Even if bikes aren't your scene, take ''RVF ''for a test ride. SM *As far as motorbike racing games go on the Amiga, this is the best simulation I've seen to date, but considering it's one of the only ones that's not hardly surprising. ''RVF ''is quite hard to get to grips with, and once you've mastered the controls it becomes very enjoyable. I like the idea that when you come off your bike you lose some part of its performance, like a gear, for instance. All in all, ''RVF's not too bad and will appeal to a lot of people. DJ *''RVF has to be the best motorcycle racing game available for the Amiga at the moment. The game itself is very addictive indeed and sports well-defined graphics and a track that moves quickly and smoothly. The only annoying feature is when you crash. If you come off, it's practically impossible to come anywhere in a race, let alone win one. Nevertheless, ''RVF ''is a very realistic game and should please fans of this genre. SW '''Arthur: The Quest for Excalibur' *Welcome back, Infocom. Software houses come and go, but hopefully quality like this will stick around. This has the feel of the 'right stuff'. The graphics are nothing mindblowing, but they don't jar either. The mapping facility is also a boon to free-spirits like myself who hate slowing the action to draw spaghetti maps. Lancelot ''from Level 9 missed the mark by trying to be factual. This game says, 'Forget the facts, feel the atmosphere'. AM *It's been some time since I played a text adventure, but this one shows how well things have developed in the interim. I liked the mapping facility. However, my heart sank when I found the 'twisty tunnel' section - I hate mazes! If you've tried text adventures before and found them frustrating and lacking in excitement, this could be the game that will change things for you. Having played it for two long sessions so far, I still have not become totally stuck - and that's a record for me! SK '''F-16 Combat Pilot' *Digital Integration, it seems, have produced a worthy challenger to Falcon. F-16 has to be the most accurate simulator at the moment, and I can't see it being bettered for quite some time. Presentation is immaculate, and the graphic update is both smooth and fast. Although not as pretty as Falcon, F-16 is more of a simulator and therefore far more realistic. If you're looking for the ultimate flight simulator, get F-16 Combat Pilot. SM *DI have done a very good job of F-16, and to say that the program is as good, if not better, than Falcon is some compliment. F-16, unlike Falcon, has that little bit more realism to it, and the manoeuvrability feels more like how I would imagine an F-16 to be. My only worry is that if DI don't release any mission disks, Falcon may retake the number one spot due to it's constant upgrading. DJ *F-16 is probably the most advanced flight simulator we've seen so far on the Amiga. Although Falcon was excellent, F-16 seems to take the realism just a little bit further. Graphically excellent, the game's presentation is also very tidy and effective. Although a little hard to pilot at first, with time comes experience, and F-16 is an experience we could all do with. My only question is: can flight simulators get any better than this? Maybe DI are working on one already... SW Strider *Capcom should certainly feel pleased with themselves about this one, and although I haven't actually played the arcade version, judging by the quality of the Amiga version it must be a very close port. The game is a very playable one and although I wouldn't class it as top ranking it is nevertheless still very good. Strider ''poses quite a challenge and won't be beaten easily. DJ *Conversions from the arcade to the Amiga just get better and better, and ''Strider ''is no exception. The game is really great and I found it really addictive. The game is very hard, and it would have been nice to have a continue option, but the difficulty isn't too detrimental. Throughout the game, both the graphics and sound are excellent, and you could do a lot worse than try out ''Strider. SM *I have never ever seen a Strider ''coin-op, so how close this conversion is, I just don't know. The game is superbly presented, with the large well-animated ''Strider ''leaping around attacking the many enemy. I liked the combination of platform and shoot'em-up action, and rate Strider as the best conversion to appear from the Capcom/U.S. Gold deal. SW '''RoboCop' *The first thing that appalled me with this game was the sound. If the sound quality had been equal to the ST, I would have been disappointed, but to be worse is terrible. The graphics are just a straight port and the programmers could have at least increased the screen size. Robocop could have been a lot better and I came away disappointed. DJ *Bearing in mind the Amiga's graphical and sonic advantages over the ST, I was hoping for a full-screen version of Robocop, complete with lots of sampled sound. Instead, we get the small playing area that ST owners had, and two new samples - most disappointing. Apart from this, Robocop is still a playable game. It's just a bit of a let-down to see it not taking advantage of the Amiga's capabilities. SM Great Courts *UBI Soft have come up with a great winner in the form of the tennis simulator, Great Courts. The feature that really attracted me to this game was that it was so easy to get into. There isn't a myriad of different shots to learn, just backhand and forehand. The graphics are excellent, and together with the digitized sound effects Great Courts definitely beats Mirrorsoft's Passing Shot. SW *I honestly thought that Passing Shot was going to be the be-all and end-all of Tennis games, but Great Courts is quite simply brilliant. Combining both superb animation with some excellent sampled sounds, Great Courts is the next best thing to playing the game - and it's almost as exhausting! As we can expect from UBI Soft, the game is packed with nice features and touches, and these simply round off an already superb game. SM *My main gripe with Passing Shot was with the dodgy scrolling, but, thankfully, this factor doesn't enter Great Courts. The animation on the players is excellent, and before long I was hitting aces just like a budding McEnroe. The game also features some stunning sampled thwacks, and roll all these features into one and you have one hell of a good Tennis game. DJ Features Contents - 2 pages (2-3) Points of Grue (Letters) - 3 pages (37-39) Everything you ever wanted to know about Amiga... - 2 pages (56-57) Sound & Music - Jason Brook - 1 page (66) Joystick Megatest - Steve Merrett - 5 pages (78-82) Giving the Game Away (Tips) Kult - Solution - 1 page (28-29) The New Zealand Story - Guide - 1¾ pages (29,33) Blood Money - Guide - 3 pages (30-32) Other Credits Publisher : Hugh Gollner Contributors : Doug Johns, Steve White, Andy Mitchell, Steve Kennedy, Pete Lyon, Jason Brook Issues Index Category:Contains Amiga Reviews